Appliance Repair Questions? Ask a Technician for Answers ASAP

Oil Burner Problems

h2>What is an oil burner?
An oil burner is a heating device used to burn fuel oil. The oil is atomized into an oil spray due to it being forced under pressure through a nozzle. The spray is then ignited by an electric spark with forced air from an electric fan.

Listed below are a few questions answered by the Experts on oil burner problems.

I need to press the reset button on my furnace in order for my oil burner to work how do I do this?

First you will need to remove the panel on the boiler to locate the burner. Check for the burner/oil pump/blower assembly which produces the flame. A dirty flame sensor rod, soot on the infra red flame sensing “eye” could be the root cause to your issue. The flame should glow light blue and yellow. If it is not, locate the metal rod sticking out into the flame from the assembly. This is the flame detection rod. Use a sandpaper to clean it. If there is no rod instead you have a dime sized glass lens, this is the infra red which detects the flame. Clean the lens with any solvent which you have available at home. Wait for half an hour before trying to turn the unit on. This should resolve the issue.

What is the process to bleed my Texaco oil burner line?

You will need to purge the air from the oil line. You will require a 3/8 inch open end wrench, a small container to collect the oil and a small 1/4 inch rubber tubing. Find the bleed fitting on the oil pump usually on the left side of the oil burner where the oil line connects. It will have a hex with a small hose barb protruding out. Position the container directly below the small hose. Loosen the hex, at first you may get oil coming out or probably a few bubbles. Press the reset button on the burner to allow a steady stream of oil without any bubbles. Tighten the hex and you have completed the task. You may be required to press the reset button more than once. In case the reset button gets locked down, you can hold it down for a minimum of 30 seconds till it releases from lockout position.

I can smell kerosene when my Beckett oil burner forced air heating system is on. I replaced the nozzle and filter but the smell still persists. What could the problem be?

Some of the things which could be an issue would be the stack is partially plugged or the barometric damper is wrongly set allowing the exhaust or smoke in to the house. The heat exchanger could be cracked again allowing exhaust into the house. Both incidents require a proper check up since the oil burners warn you with the smell. In order to fix it the uni-kit may require a new exchanger. A technician should examine it in order to decide which direction is best. However the burner pot or the furnace would need to be replaced. The situation is such that the heat and exhaust are contained within the burning pot while air is circulating outside it. If a crack appears, the contents of the burning pot can be emitted with the air blowing around it. It is quite unsafe to operate the unit or try to address the situation at this point without having a professional serviceman repair the unit.

What is the procedure to change a nozzle of a Beckett oil burner?

One of the easiest methods to change the nozzle would be to unscrew the two screws at the front of the igniter which is the black box on the top of the gun. Remove the 3/8th line out of the left side and remove the nut behind this after the line is off. Take the inside part of the gun and remove the nozzle. Check the nozzle size of the one that is presently in the gun. Using a cloth wipe the outside of the nozzle to check if you can see any numbers or letters stamped on it. It usually says if it is an “A” or “B” and what are the gallons per hour (GPH) through a dot followed by two numbers. If the changing of the nozzle does not generate fire, bleeding it from the small 3/8 nipple on the bottom left hand side of the gun is the next option. You will need a small cup to collect any fuel which is being bled from the nipple. Close the nipple before the gun stops thereby not allowing air back into the system.

Oil burners are used in various heating devices. There are several types and ways to operate these oil burners. Issues with respect to them can be recognized with the help of odor or warning signs they may depict. The problems with oil burners should not be handled by an inexperienced person without some guidance and assistance. Therefore to understand better, insights and information from Experts will be helpful and useful to tackle the problem immediately and effectively.

In The News

How JustAnswer Works:

Ask an Appliance Technician

Get a Professional Answer. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.

3 Appliance Technicians are Online Now

Type Your Appliance Question Here...

characters left:

Disclaimer: Information in questions, answers, and other posts on this site ("Posts") comes from individual users, not JustAnswer; JustAnswer is not responsible for Posts. Posts are for general information, are not intended to substitute for informed professional advice (medical, legal, veterinary, financial, etc.), or to establish a professional-client relationship. The site and services are provided "as is" with no warranty or representations by JustAnswer regarding the qualifications of Experts. To see what credentials have been verified by a third-party service, please click on the "Verified" symbol in some Experts' profiles. JustAnswer is not intended or designed for EMERGENCY questions which should be directed immediately by telephone or in-person to qualified professionals.